Government
"From the Japanese Meiji Restoration came a highly centralized, bureaucratic government and a constitution that allowed for an elected parliamentary body." - Inside Japan's Legal System
"Territorial clans were abolished in 1871; a prefectural system was established in 1872; Western-style education and tax systems were introduced in 1873; and by 1912, Japan possessed a centralized, bureaucratic government, a constitution establishing an elected parliament, and a well-developed transportation and communication system." -Minority Rights: Between Diversity and Community
"Convening of a Diet" (MIT Visualizing Cultures)
Transportation and Communication
"Internal transportation and communication systems are well-developed, modern and certainly far beyond what they were in 19th century America. External transportation and communication systems are also well-developed." -Modern Organizations: Organization Studies in the Postmodern World
"Japan entered a period of economic growth because of the economically oriented and educated population of the American occupation." - Japan versus China in the Industrial Race
"[The clans] rallied Japanese people behind unprecedented changes through a variety of public education and motivation efforts." -Throwing Off Asia – Bunmei Kaika: The Role of Art in Promoting Government Policy
Steam train between Tokyo and Yokohama" by Utagawa Hiroshige III, 1875
Education
"By the end of this period, Japan had developed a highly-educated population free of former feudal class restrictions, promulgated a constitution and established a Western-style parliament. It had built a rapidly growing industrial base with a modern and effective transportation and communication system. It had a centralized, modern bureaucratic government. And lastly, it had created a very powerful army and navy, as demonstrated by their victory against China in 1894-1895, resulting in Japan’s colonizing Korea and Taiwan. Then in 1904, Japan fought Russia, and in three battles, soundly defeated Russia at sea and on land, becoming the first non-Western world power." -Meiji Restoration and Japanese Imperialism 1868-1945
"6 year mandatory education graduate diploma. The Meiji rulers...in their quest to equal or surpass Western powers...created an educated populace and made schooling accessible and mandatory, regardless of class, gender, etc." -MIT Visualizing Cultures
|
"Increase in education rates due to reforms... influenced by the Choshu and Satsuma during the restoration." - Japan: From Feudal Society to Modern Nation; Harvard University Press
|
Technology and Industry
"Japan's industrial and technological development accelerated through the early twentieth century. The Japanese industrial sector was growing and evolving rapidly, with the spread of modern management and the emergence of large scale corporations." -Maximizing U.S. Interests in Science and Technology Relations with Japan
"Prosperous country, Strong country, Strong military." -Meiji slogan
"the army, navy, and system of police were established...The rapidity with which this country has advanced in civilization in unparalleled in the history of the world; so powerful has the nation become that it may seem to many as though little remains to place it on level with European and American powers."
-Japan Weekly Mail, July 7, 1877
-Japan Weekly Mail, July 7, 1877